I was so happy to see that my lovely Cured Salmon with Nettles made the blog in the round-up for Feb! Want to see lots of other amazing bloggers takes on flavoured Salts, Cured Egg yolks and all salty goodness.

For the month of March is Jellies and Shrubs. I have to admit that I did a head tilt, I mean this is not the time of year for Jellies.. my Jellies are all sitting in pretty rows on the shelf’s and I looked at the word Scrub and went hmm..

A google search on it and suddenly I was doing the dance of joy.. I know Shrub by one of its old names Sekanjabin and I make a number of versions of it.. Now that I can get behind..

Suddenly, the world of shrubs just opened up into so many different flavour choice’s, and we are going to make a number of them.. but first we are going to talk about what makes a drink a shrub.

In a nut shell, it’s a mix of fruit or herbs that are made into a juice, mixed with a sweet hit be that sugar or honey and combined with plain or flavoured vinegar.

The mix between fruit and sugar can be as equal are 50-50 or it can be as low as 75% fruit with 25% sugar and that finished fruit or herb syrup is blended at 2/3rd fruit syrup to 1/3rd of a vinegar..

Now you can use a touch less vinegar to start with if you find it a touch much, but you want to create a mix of sweet and sour to the drink.

This is one of the most popular drinks on the farm in the early spring here on the farm. It’s just bursting with freshness and this blend gives a stunning color and outstanding fullness of flavour.

Spring Rhubarb with Nettle Tea Shrub

4 cups of coarsely chopped Rhubarb stalks

1 cup of cleaned coarsely chopped Nettles Leaves

2 cup of sugar

Half a cup of White Wine Vinegar

Tiny pinch of Salt

Place above into a steel pot and add six cups of water, simmer gently till the rhubarb is cooked though, pour though a cheese cloth, straining it out, if you want a pure sweet color, do not squeeze the bag at all, or if you are like me and it matters not at all that is cloudy and might have bits in the bottom of the jar, get every last bit of goodness out of it.

Put in a clean jar or jug and chill till cold, work up a sweat in the garden or yard It is the most lovely pink color, almost like the fake pink lemonade from the store but so much more healthy for you!

Now the reason for this combo here on the farm is because Rhubarb and Nettle are my first plants up in the spring.. however if you are in a climate that allows it and or you don’t grow nettles for eating (an you should) or you can’t wild forage for them locally. Then do feel free to use a fresh mint, I use Apple Mint in place of the nettles. It will change the flavour of course but its very good as well.

O yes, I know you can get nettle seeds to order them in.. I would be able to get some by the fall for sure. My rhubarb is under at least three feet of snow.. Now its a spreader, the tiniest bit of root and its going to grow, but its so worth it.. it can be used as a fresh spring green, cooking or drying takes the sting out of it.http://www.rareseeds.com/stinging-nettle/

And before I forget, if you do decide to plant a good size patch of it, besides fresh eating and picking and drying it before it blooms (you can cut it and have it come again with the fresh young) it is also outstanding! as a plant that you can cut, chop, let it sit in water for a green manure tea, that you can use in garden.. your other plants will love you for it.. I think I have post on that.. I will see if I can track it down for you..

Your shrub recipe sounds delicious! I love nettles which I can forage and it won’t be long before I can. Most importantly, I’ve been trying to get more vinegar into my diet so I’m definitely go to try this. Thanks.

Farmgals Bucket List : Farmgal's Bucket List

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